Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is used to define successful completion of coursework to maintain eligibility for student financial aid. Federal regulations require the University to establish, publish and apply standards to monitor your progress towards completion of your certificate or degree program. If you fail meet these standards, you will be placed on financial aid warning or suspension. Students attending summer 2011 will be reviewed using the same SAP standards as were applied to the 2010-2011 academic year. Your academic performance must meet the SAP standards below.

Qualitative standard:Represented by your grade point average (GPA). You must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA to remain eligible for aid.

Quantitative standard:This standard has two parts.

First, you must complete your degree or certificate program within a maximum timeframe, which may vary according to your student status and program.

Second, you must successfully complete a required percentage of the credits you attempt. This component is referred to as your credit completion ratio.

To maintain your eligibility for financial aid consideration, you must meet the standards set forth in this policy. Please read this information carefully for a description of the policy and how your academic progress affects your financial aid. You will be notified via your official University of Minnesota e-mail account if you are not meeting SAP standards.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

To be eligible for financial aid, you must meet UMC's Academic Progress Policy, as well as three additional components: (1) credit completion ratio, (2) grade point average, and (3) maximum timeframe.

1. Grade point average

Your cumulative GPA must be 2.0 or higher. Your cumulative grade point average (GPA) will be reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships at the end of your first term and each subsequent term thereafter. (Note: The University of Minnesota Crookston Registrar’s Office monitors your GPA after each term of enrollment. If you fail to meet the University of Minnesota Crookston’s minimum GPA requirement and are suspended by the Registrar’s Office, you will also be suspended by the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships and will not be eligible for Financial Aid.)

2. Credit completion ratio

You must earn at least 67 percent of the credits you attempt to maintain satisfactory academic progress. Each semester your academic progress will be determined by comparing the number of credits you attempted (including any course in which you were enrolled past the drop/add period) to those you actually earned. Note: Transfer credits from another institution will be included in both attempted and earned credits.

Credits earned include grades of A, B, C, D, S, P, T, Q, and R. Credits attempted include all of those previously listed, plus F, I, K, X, N, U, W, and blank. Repeated courses are included in the calculation of both attempted and earned hours. Remedial courses are included in the calculation of both attempted and earned hours. Credits taken while studying at another institution, (e. g., study abroad,) are considered credits attempted but not considered earned until they are accepted by UMC as transfer credits. Extended term distance education courses are considered attempted, but not earned until a grade is submitted. Audit (V) credits are not considered attempted or earned.

3. Maximum timeframe

You are eligible to receive financial aid for a maximum timeframe of 150 percent of the published degree credits required to complete your program. For example, if your undergraduate degree program requires 120 degree credits, you are eligible for aid up to 180 attempted credits. You will not be eligible to receive financial aid once you have exceeded the SAP maximum timeframe (total attempted credits) of 150 percent of the published degree credits required to complete your program. If you exceed the timeframe before you have finished your studies, you must use your own funds to pay for your college expenses. An e-mail timeframe " warning " will be sent to your University e-mail account once your record shows you have attempted more than 125 percent of your degree or certificate credit requirements.

The following courses are included when determining the total number of credits attempted for timeframe: all University of Minnesota coursework credits, including those in which you received grades of I, N, F, W, X, K, NG, T (test) or blank, as well as any other credits and transfer credits that count toward your degree. Remedial, repeated, and distance education courses will be counted in determining maximum timeframe.

Financial Aid Suspension

If you do not attain the required cumulative GPA and/or credit completion ratio during your warning term, you will be placed on financial aid suspension. While on suspension you are not eligible for most financial aid programs (the exceptions include private loan programs that do not require a stipulation of meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress, and outside assistance not subject to SAP).

You may attend the University, at your own expense, until you attain the cumulative GPA and cumulative credit completion requirement. To regain financial aid eligibility your record must reflect that you have met these requirements. If you failed to meet these standards due to unusual circumstances, you have the right to appeal your SAP suspension status. You will be placed on immediate suspension if, during your warning term, you receive financial aid and you stop attending all of your classes before the drop/add period or receive a 100 percent tuition refund any time you cancel all of your classes for that term.

Academic Suspension

If you have been suspended from the University, you are no longer eligible for any financial aid. Once you have been readmitted by the Registrar’s Office, you must complete the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form. Your financial aid status and eligibility will be determined based on financial aid SAP standards through a review of your academic record.

Additional SAP requirements

If you are enrolled in a dual degree program, are a student seeking a 2nd degree, or changed majors numerous times, you may request an extension of the maximum timeframe provision of this policy by completing a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form. Such requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and must have an academic course plan signed by your academic advisor listing the classes you must take to complete your degree.

Transfer credits accepted by the University of Minnesota, Crookston, will be included when calculating your maximum time frame, but not your GPA. This includes credits earned from foreign institutions.

All credits attempted and earned at another University of Minnesota campus will be included when calculating your maximum time frame, GPA, and credit completion ratio.

Your SAP is monitored, whether or not you receive financial aid. In the event that you do not meet minimum SAP standards, you will be notified only if you have applied for financial aid.

If you are required to withdraw for military reasons, credit completion and maximum timeframe requirements will be waived for the semester of your official withdrawal.

Credits earned while a Post Secondary Education Options (PSEO) student at the University of Minnesota will be included in GPA, credit completion and the maximum timeframe calculation. Credits earned while a Post Secondary Education Options (PSEO) student at another institution will be considered transfer credits and will be treated like other transfer credits.

Your Right to Appeal

A notice will be sent to your University-assigned e-mail account before the beginning of the next term if you are not meeting SAP standards. You may appeal your financial aid suspension status, if:

your record shows that you earned the required GPA or credit completion ratio to meet SAP standards during a term at your own expense.

you were readmitted after suspension from your college.

unusual circumstances interfered with your ability to meet SAP standards, including but not limited to:

illness, accident, or injury experienced by you or a significant person in your life. Documentation required: physician's statement, police report, or other documentation from a third party professional; hospital billing statement

death of a family member or significant person in your life. Documentation required: a copy of the obituary or death certificate

divorce experienced by you or parent. Documentation required: attorney's letter on law firm's letterhead or copy of divorce decree

reinstatement after an academic dismissal or extended break in your enrollment. Documentation required: adviser's written statement

personal problems or issues with your spouse, family, roommate, or other significant person. Documentation required: written statement from medical doctor, counselor, attorney, or other professional adviser

exceeding timeframe while in a second undergraduate or dual degree program or as a result of changing your major. Documentation required: adviser's written statement

If you have been placed on financial aid suspension, your financial aid awards will be canceled after the fifth week of the term in which you have suspension status. Those canceled funds are returned to the originating programs to be awarded to other eligible financial aid recipients. If your appeal is granted, your aid will be reinstated, based on funds available at that time. As a result, your original award(s) may be reduced or lost. For that reason, your best interest is served by submitting an appeal as soon as you receive your suspension notice. After your appeal is received, you will be notified by e-mail within 15 business days on whether your appeal was granted or denied.

To appeal your suspension due to any of these or similar personal crises, explain your circumstances in detail on the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form. Please ensure that the form is complete, has the advisor section completed and is returned to:

The SAP Committee will review all petitions and render a decision within 10-weekdays of the receipt of the petition. If your petition is approved, you will be deemed to be making satisfactory academic progress and be eligible to receive institutional, federal, and state financial aid. The Director, at his/her discretion may, at the time of approval of a petition, may place you on financial aid warning until such time as you meet the required standards. While on financial aid warning if you fail to complete two-thirds (67%) of the credits attempted or fail to obtain a minimum of a 2.00 term GPA, you will be deemed to be not maintaining satisfactory academic progress and your financial aid eligibility will be suspended. If your appeal is approved, you will be placed on financial aid probation until you have met the stipulations of the SAP Policy.

Deadlines. Appeals to reinstate eligibility during the current term must be received no later than the last day to cancel a class without special permission for that term. During the fall and spring semester this is the end of the eighth week of class. Refer to the term class schedule for the corresponding deadlines for May and summer terms. Appeals submitted after the deadline will be considered for reestablishing eligibility for subsequent terms only.

Appeal of a Denied Petition
You have the right to appeal a denied SAP appeal decision from the SAP Committee by contacting the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.